Three coaches who would be a perfect fit to replace Mark Stoops at Kentucky

Kentucky needs to make a run at these three coaches.

Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein, left, former Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti and former Oregon coach Rich Brooks talk before the game as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was another disappointing season of Kentucky football that finished on Saturday with a 41-0 loss to rival Louisville. Sunday night, Pete Thamel announced that Kentucky plans to fire Mark Stoops, and the process will formally play out on Monday.

With Stoops out of the picture, Mitch Barnhart will get started trying to find a replacement to coach this football program. Obviously, the last few seasons haven't been great in Lexington, but Stoops did a heck of a job bringing this fan base some fun seasons and unforgettable memories.

Now that the search is on, let's discuss three names that make a ton of sense to be the next head coach in Lexington.

Three early head coaching candidates for Kentucky with Mark Stoops out

Will Stein

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws out a pass as offensive coordinator Will Stein during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Will Stien is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon. He was born in Louisville, so the Ducks OC already has connections to the Bluegrass State. The 36-year-old is an up-and-coming future star in the industry, and Kentucky could get a gem if Stein decides to leave Oregon. The Ducks will be in the College Football Playoff, so it would be interesting to see what the timeline would look like if Kentucky were to make a push after Stein. Based on Social media reactions, Stein is the coach that Big Blue Nation wants to replace Stoops.

Brian Hartline

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline leads warm ups prior to the NCAA football game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 22, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brian Hartline is the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he also coaches the wide receivers. He has coached some elite wide receivers at OSU who have turned themselves into some of the best in the NFL. Hartline won the National Championship last season with the Buckeyes, and they will be the favorite to repeat once again. The former NFL wide receiver is going to be a great head coach, and it would be ideal for Kentucky to be his first stop.

Dan Mullen

Dan Mullen is out at Florida. Syndication Gainesville Sun | Brad McClenny / USA TODAY NETWORK

Dan Mullen is the name floating around that does not have Big Blue Nation all that excited. He saw some success at Florida before being let go and is now at UNLV, where he went 10-2 this season. Mullen seems to be more of a floor play for the Wildcats, but he has won at two different stops in the SEC. If it doesn't work out with Stein or Hartline, this would be a phone call that Barnhart could make to replace Stoops. BBN does not seem to want Mullen to be the next coach, but his name will be involved.